The lunatics may not have taken over the Stadium of Light yesterday but any more of the crazy undulations that accompanied Sunderland's 2-2 draw with Charlton could yet see Peter Reid certified.

It was far from the ultimate see-saw ride of 1998's famous play-off final between these two like-minded clubs.

But so nerve-wracking was the entertainment, as Niall Quinn's late double dragged Sunderland back from a two-goal deficit, that the Wearsiders' boss was predicting retirement in the "loony bin" if the future holds many more encounters with Alan Curbishley's side.

This one had seen Shaun Bartlett take the plaudits for Charlton's 10th-minute opener, although it owed something to a deflection off Quinn's back and more still to Jurgen Macho's ill-advised lunge for the ball.

And if that did not madden Reid to the point of insanity, the poor defending which allowed Steve Brown to double Charlton's lead surely did.

At least Sunderland's fightback will have appeased Kevin Phillips, who expressed his concern last week at his side's failings, and will be as encouraged by their response to his criticism as the boo-boys can be by their heroes' late reprise.

A pity their second-half performance was not matched by their first during which to say the action was end-to-end would be understating matters.

In the third minute Phillips, making best use of his role behind the front two, drifted wide to the left.

His measured cross was headed firmly by Lilian Laslandes, but directly at Dean Kiely.

Three minutes later Charlton responded with a volley from Bartlett that cannoned off Jody Craddock's head to Paul Konchesky, who blazed over the bar.

Then Bernt Haas flung a long throw-in towards the front post, Quinn helped the ball on to the back and Julio Arca forced an incredible reflex save from Kiely, who tipped the Argentine's point-blank header over.

From the resulting corner Laslandes' powerful drive was deflected wide.

And as the ebb suitably took its turn to flow to the other end on 10 minutes, Charlton took the lead.

Konchesky's inswinging centre drew the Austrian keeper into a rash, despairing grasp at the ball which instead dropped into the unguarded net off a combination of Bartlett's back and Quinn's head.

At least Macho recovered to keep his eye on Graham Stuart's 18th-minute shot and watched with relief seconds later as Mark Kinsella lifted a 20-yard effort over the bar.

Still the action swung from one end to the other. Quinn chested the ball into the feet of Laslandes and his deflected drive from the edge of the area had Kiely sprawling to his right to save.

On 25 minutes, Kinsella's free-kick found Bartlett in space at the back post.

And after his initial headed effort was blocked by Craddock, the South African looped the ball to the right-hand upright

where Jonatan Johansson hit the side-netting from a narrow angle.

Moments later Bartlett's international team-mate, Mark Fish, saw his header from a Konchesky corner nodded off the line by Gray.

It was already a day of neat, swift build-up play, desperate defending and even more ragged finishing when Gavin McCann spurned his side's best effort of the first half-hour.

More by luck than judgement, Phillips threaded the ball diagonally from left to right through a packed box.

The ball emerged somewhat fortuitously at the feet of the overlapping McCann but, with only the keeper to beat, the England international hammered the ball into Kiely's legs.

Unfortunately for Sunderland the second half was to find McCann in equally profligate mood.

After a blasted effort from Phillips caught Powell full in the face, Quinn guided a looping header towards the back post, where McCann thrusted into the box only to nod over from beneath the bar.

Wasteful though it was, it at least signalled Sunderland's intentions for the second period.

On 51 minutes Haas volleyed wide after Arca's cross was half cleared, and 60 seconds later Quinn snuck behind Luke Young on the left and volleyed at Kiely.

His punched save fell invitingly to Phillips, but too quickly for the striker to react suitably and the rebound squirmed wide.

And as Sunderland seized the initiative the crowd awoke.

Spurred on by the escalating noise, Quinn set up Phillips for an acrobatic overhead strike which sailed straight into Kiely's arms.

But for Powell's intervention Laslandes would have converted Schwarz's low cross from the left, before Gray fed Phillips for a 20-yard piledriver which Kiely, falling to his left, did well to cling to.

And yet, just as they seemed resigned to half an hour spent leaning on the back foot, Charlton doubled their lead.

Brown rose highest, but with little obvious threat, to meet Young's long throw at the front post. But his flick-on sailed over Macho, who remained rooted to his line, and crept inside the far post.

For Sunderland, all looked lost, especially when Laslandes headed wide before watching his 66th-minute chip evade Kiely but not Young, retreating to the goalline.

Perseverance however, finally paid off with a swift one-two inside two minutes.

With a quarter of an hour remaining Arca carried the ball away from an aimless Charlton attack and freed Phillips on the left.

The sometime-England star tricked his way past Young and stood the ball up at the back post for Quinn to nod past Kiely from a tight angle.

And moments later, with McCann's deeply-struck free-kick the source, the Irishman ghosted to the blindside of Fish and delivered an identical end product to salvage a well-deserved point.